Day 273 – 275 – Belem, Brazil
May 31, 2011 3 Comments
Day 273 – 275 – Belem, Brazil 05/21-23/11 Mileage: Local miles
John and I both had some maintenance to do on the bikes, so that was both our plans this morning. I tightened my chain and did what could be the last oil change for this trip….a sure sign that the inevitable end to this journey is on the horizon.
We did eventually meet up with Ian and he had been in town for a few days already. He met a local rider named Alex who not only owns a motorcycle shop in Belem but is also a local motorcycle club president. Alex was helping with local information and showing Ian around town…and later that night the four of us went out on the bikes for dinner.
L to R: Ian, John, Alex and me…
He showed us a great local joint that he said was “good and cheap”…and that it was. So, with the money we saved Alex took us to a strip club to pursue the local talent….and this was the kind of place that you could also make a purchase. 😉 (sorry guys, no pics) The next day was spent running errands and tracking down information on the routes out of Belem as well as exploring the option to take a boat up the Amazon to Manaus, which in the end we all decided to do. We got a good deal for the three of us (and our bikes) to take a boat from Belem all the way to Manaus in the heart of the Amazon. That night Alex took us to a hopping outdoor club on a pier overlooking the river.
The place was freakin jumping and everyone was dancing and partying in the tropical heat….language barrier….what language barrier!?
Ian is loving the scene….
…..and so is John!
The next day John and I walked down to check out the boat and scope out the logistics of getting our bikes onboard.
That’s our boat at the end of the pier…the Ciudad de Santarem II…
When we got there we watched them offloading a pick-up….that was a tight fit…
They sell refreshing cold coconuts on the street which they open for you with a machette….check out the skills in the video below…
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That night we met Alex and some of his motorcycle club buddies again and they took us out to another “cheap and good” dinner.
Alex (center) and 2 of his motorcycle club buddies…
So, thanks Alex for all the great info and the locals tour of Belem!
From Deadhorse Down 
Lenny, it is really a small world. Great that you met up with John and Ian and Alex seemed to really show you a good time. You really have a guardian angel riding with you. Everything sounds great and glad the boat turned out so well. Great that you had people you knew to do it with you for many reasons.
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Loved catching up tonight. Love ya, Mom and Dad
BONZIE !!
I haven’t heard from you in a while & got a little worried. Nice to see you enjoying life. HappyTrails….
Hey Hanzo! Yeah, I should have put a note on the blog that I was going to be on the river without internet for 6-7 days, but I forgot…doh! Just getting caught up now….should have more posts up soon…